The news of Bill Belichick signing a five-year contract become New UNC football coach taken Tom Brady by surprise
“I was shocked when I heard the news. I didn’t think that was an opportunity I was looking at,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion said during the Pittsburgh Steelers-Philadelphia Eagles broadcast on FOX. “They’re getting, obviously, a tremendous coach. These guys are going to play really hard. He will train them well. It’s a huge benefit for all those players who go to this program, because they get the best coach this professional NFL has ever seen.”
Belichick coached Brady for 20 years and the duo helped lead the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl championships. So he’s certainly familiar with how Belichick coaches and knows he has the tools to run a football team.
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Belichick’s success at the NFL level has been well documented. He has eight Super Bowl wins to his name and a slew of records in New England. But he’s never coached at the collegiate level, so it’s new territory for the 72-year-old.
When Brady was in the FOX studio last week with former teammates Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, said he couldn’t see Belichick coaching at the college level especially for the recruitment process.
“There’s a lot he can do, and he’s obviously tremendous, and it even shows his personality,” Brady said. “But to go out there on the recruiting trail and deal with all these college kids with NILs? Can you imagine recruiting?
Brady mimicked Belichick as a recruiter: “You really want to come here? We don’t really want you anyway.”
it is a fresh start for Belichickwho parted ways with the Patriots in January after 24 seasons and was left out of the 2024 coaching cycle. And while there will be several NFL teams looking for a new coachESPN’s Adam Schefter said in a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Belichick didn’t want to wait for something that was not a sure thing.
The Tar Heels last won a conference championship in 1980 and have yet to win a national title. But with a new voice at the helm—and one with plenty of experience winning— Belichick could be a welcome addition at UNC.